


Reclaiming Forever

by HiddenTreasures



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Bad Wolf, Episode Fix-It: s04e13 Journey's End, F/M, Fix-It, Hurt/Comfort, Regeneration, Reunions, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-18
Updated: 2018-03-18
Packaged: 2019-04-04 07:52:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,716
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14015694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HiddenTreasures/pseuds/HiddenTreasures
Summary: Rose has returned, but before she and the Doctor can resume their forever, there’s a little matter of a Dalek invasion to take care of first.





	Reclaiming Forever

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Chocolatequeen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chocolatequeen/gifts).



> This is a very belated birthday gift for Nancy! Happy birthday!

The Doctor wrenched open the TARDIS door and stepped out onto a deserted London street. He was finally back on Earth, and while a large part of his brain was focused on trying to figure out how to save the universe, there was another piece that was focused entirely on his long-lost wife.

_Where is she?_

She had to be here. He just knew she was here. His clever, clever Rose.

He grunted in discomfort when he unthinkingly reached across their bond for her, looking for her. But the mangled cord of their bond ended abruptly and was just as raw and tender as it was the day it broken nearly three years ago.

“Looks like a ghost town,” Donna said from behind him.

“Well, Sarah Jane did say they were taking the people,” he mused. Still, he expected the place to be overrun by Daleks. But why did they want the humans? “What for? Think, Donna. When you met Rose in that parallel world”—The Doctor’s hearts burned with jealousy that Donna had seen and spoken to Rose—“what did she say?”

Donna shook her head as she tried to think.

“Just… the darkness is coming.”

_How helpful,_  he wanted to snap. But he could hear Rose’s reproach, like he’d always heard over the last three years, and he swallowed it down. A shudder ran down his spine as it seemed like the air rippled around him, alive with energy. He’d felt out of sorts since he’d seen the words ‘Bad Wolf’ everywhere on that marketplace with Donna. Everything was in flux, and it was grating against his time senses uncomfortably.

He shook off the feeling and looked at his friend. “Anything else?”

But Donna’s gaze had shifted, and she was staring at a point behind his shoulder as she murmured, “Why don’t you ask her yourself?”

The Doctor’s breath caught as he realized what she was saying. He whirled around, and gasped when he saw his wife beaming at him from down the street. Oh, she was beautiful. So, so beautiful.

He took off at a sprint, running flat-out towards his bondmate. She was running too, grinning at him as she pumped her arms and as her huge gun bounced against her hip. He forced his legs to go faster, lengthening his stride as far as it could go. Oh, he was almost there! He could see how it would go: he would open his arms wide and plant his feet as she jumped, and he would catch her ‘round the waist and hoist her off her feet. She would giggle in his ear, and he was pretty sure he’d be giggling too, and he would bury his face in her shoulder and breathe her in. And he would finally fix their bond, and he’d be able to feel her light, warmth, and love where he currently felt dark, cold, and empty.

He saw movement out of the corner of his eye, but he couldn’t be bothered to care, not when Rose was so close. But it caught her attention, and she looked away. Her face morphed into a look of horror, and he reluctantly peeled his gaze away from her.

A Dalek was rolling towards them, its ray gun held up in a position to fire. “Exterminate.”

_Oh, no. No, no, no. Don’t hit Rose. Please, gods don’t hit Rose. Don’t hit Rose!_

It didn’t hit Rose. As soon as the Dalek saw him, it aimed for him instead, and the Doctor desperately tried to halt his forward momentum. His feet ached as he slammed them into the ground, trying to stop, and he twisted his body as far as he could go, but he still felt the stinging, searing pain as the Dalek’s ray hit him in the side.

All of the breath seemed to leave his body and he couldn’t focus on anything but the pain. He grunted as his body fell onto the cold, hard ground, and when the air shimmered and he felt that grating, irritating sensation that always accompanied Jack Harkness, it became too much for him to bear.

His eyes lolled back in his head as he briefly lost consciousness, and with it went the all-consuming agony he was in. But all too soon, he awoke again and the respite was over. However, in addition to the pain, he felt soft, warm, familiar hands cradling his head.

“I’ve got you,” she said, lifting his head to try and meet his gaze. His vision was blurred, and he tried to blink against it, because he knew Rose’s face was just inches in front of his own. “It missed you. Look, it’s me, Doctor.”

Finally his eyes cooperated, and her face came into focus. She was as beautiful as the day he first saw her. Maybe even more beautiful. Joy and love momentarily blocked out the pain, and he grinned up at his wife.

“Rose,” he breathed.

“Hi,” she whispered through a watery smile.

The pain came back, and his face pinched into a grimace, but he was still so bloody happy to see his bondmate again.

“Long time no see,” he joked.

“Yeah, well, been busy, you know,” she said, returning his teasing.

But then the pain spiked, and he cried out, closing his eyes against the agony. Rose adjusted her grip to keep his skull from cracking against the ground as he writhed in pain.

“Don’t die,” she begged. “Oh, my God. Don’t die!”

“Not going anywhere,” he managed to grunt, panting through the effort it took to talk. “TARDIS. Now, love.”

Rose leaned down a pressed a kiss to his forehead before she moved away from him to grab at his shoulders. He tried to help as best he could, but his body was shutting down. Two other sets of hands grabbed at him, and he moaned as the pain intensified when Jack touched him.

“Sorry, Doc, but Rosie here isn’t strong enough to lift you herself,” the Captain said, pushing him into a seated position as Donna wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

“We’ve got you,” Rose whispered as they hoisted him to his feet. “We’re going to the TARDIS. Don’t you die on me, Doctor.”

“Never,” he said, leaning his head against her shoulder as she, Donna, and Jack hurried him towards the TARDIS.

He exhaled in relief when they passed the doors. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could’ve lasted, and he needed the TARDIS to help him regenerate.

The TARDIS’s lights flickered and she hummed in greeting. He felt a surge of love for his wife when he heard her murmur, “Oh, I’ve missed you, old girl.”

They sat him down on the floor in front of the console, and he felt the familiar tingling beneath his skin. But before he let it consume him, he reached out blindly for Rose.

“I’m here,” she whispered, grabbing his hand. He felt her press her lips to his knuckles.

“Rose,” he groaned. “Rose, I’m gonna regenerate.”

“Yeah, I figured as much,” she said, her voice cracking.

“I’m sorry, I—”

“No, Doctor,” she interrupted, her voice firm. “Don’t you dare apologize. I would rather you regenerate than die.”

Love and relief surged through him.

“Love you,” he gasped, squeezing her hand.

“I love you, too. Always, my Doctor.”

“Get away from me now,” he ordered through gritted teeth. “It’s starting.”

Rose pressed a parting kiss to his hand, then she let go and stood up. Energy burned beneath his skin. He turned and hoisted himself to his feet, and barely managed to stay upright when he felt his bond with the TARDIS deepen.

He closed his eyes as golden light erupted from within, changing him cell by cell, repairing all of the damage the Dalek’s shot had caused. He wondered what he would look like this time around. He hoped he would still be Rose’s type.

The gold light faded, taking with it the all-consuming pain he’d been in. The only trace of discomfort left behind was the ache in his head from his severed bond with Rose.

He blinked open his eyes, and he immediately caught Rose’s tear-stained gaze. But she was smiling despite her tears, and he couldn’t help but grin in return.

“What do you think?” he asked, and his voice sounded a little funny to his ears at the moment. Oh well. He’d get used to it. He always did.

“Different,” she whispered, stepping towards him.

“Good different, or bad different?” he asked.

“Just different.” Then her arms flew round his neck, and his arms came up to envelop his wife. She let out a sob into his shoulder, and he rubbed her back slowly as he rocked them gently. He nuzzled his nose into her hair and pressed a small kiss to her neck.

“I’ve missed you so much, Rose,” he said quietly.

“I missed you, too,” she gasped.

She pulled away from him then, and her hands came up to frame his face. Tendrils of his hair—brown again, he noted with disappointment—were in his eyes, and she reached up to brush it back.

Her touch felt so good, and he sighed as he leaned into her hands. She continued running her fingers through his hair, but then her fingertips brushed against his temples. He gasped as a thrill of pain and pleasure zipped through his skull.

“Sorry,” she squeaked as she pulled away.

“It’s all right,” he assured. “But love… can I fix our bond? Please?”

“Of course,” she answered, and she lifted her hands so her fingertips hovered at his temples once more.

He mirrored her position, and then he rested his fingertips lightly to her temple and initiated baseline contact. He groaned at how good it felt to be back in Rose’s head. Like returning home after a very long day.

_A day that lasted three years_ , he thought forlornly, but he pushed his melancholy to the back of his head. Rose was home. This was a joyous occasion.

_Ready, love?_  he murmured aloud as he found her half of the bond. It was as wounded and jagged as his.

_Yes please_ , she whimpered.

He took her half of the bond and encouraged her to touch his half. He thought his knees might buckle at the soothing relief her touch in his mind brought.

_Together,_  he said, holding out his hand for her, and together they rejoined the two halves of their bond and made it whole.  _I’ll love you forever. Throughout all of my lives, I’m yours. Thank you for sharing yourself with me, and thank you for allowing me to share myself with you._

As he repeated the vows he’d spoken to her when they first formed the bond, he heard Rose repeating her vows back to him in the same reverent tones he’d used. Love shone brightly through his mind, a combination of his love for Rose, and her love for him. It filled him with such warmth and pleasure to have her back in his mind where she belonged.

_I love you so much,_  he said, pressing soft kisses throughout her mind where loneliness and heartbreak still lingered.  _We’re together now. You’re home._

_I love you,_  she said, burying herself deeper into their connection.

And while he loved the feeling of being with her so deeply in their bond, he suddenly remembered they weren’t alone, and that they were in the middle of a multiversal crisis. With a parting caress, they each withdrew from their connection and opened their eyes. Their forehead had moved to be resting against each other, and they smiled at the intimacy of the moment.

The Doctor rubbed the tip of his nose against hers before he took a step back from his wife and turned towards his friends.

“So, what do you think?” he asked, opening his arms widely and giving them a turn.

“Lookin’ good, Doc,” Jack said with a flirtatious wink.

But Donna was looking at him, wide-eyed and open-mouthed. “What the bloody hell was that?!”

“It’s called regeneration,” the Doctor said. “When I’m dying, I can change every cell in my body.”

Any further explanation he was going to give—and any further complaint Donna was going to give—vanished abruptly as the TARDIS jerked violently and the lights turned off. The Doctor reached for Rose’s arm to steady her as he grabbed onto the console.

“They’ve got us,” he said grimly, and he turned the TARDIS’s computer monitor towards him. “A kind of chronon loop, I reckon.”

“There’s a massive Dalek ship at the center of the planets,” Jackie supplied helpfully. “They’re calling it the Crucible. Guess that’s our destination.”

The Doctor’s mind rebelled against Rose being anywhere near a Dalek mothership, but he pushed it aside.

“You said these planets were like an engine,” Donna said. “But what for?”

The Doctor’s mind whirred, wondering what the Daleks needed the Earth and the other twenty-six planets for.

“Rose!” he said abruptly, whirling around to face her. “You were in a parallel world. That world runs ahead of this one. You’ve seen the future. What was it?”

“The darkness,” Rose answered somberly, and she reached through their bond to share with him her memories of looking up at the night sky and seeing stars winking out one by one.

“The stars were going out,” Donna said faintly, and Rose nodded at the red-haired woman.

“One by one,” she confirmed. “We looked up at the sky, and they were just dying. Everything was dying. We’d had this, er, this time travel machine. A Dimension Cannon. So I could try to come home. But it never really worked. Until the stars started going out. The walls between dimensions started to collapse. Not just in that world, and not just in this word, but all worlds. The whole of reality. Even the Void was dead. Something is destroying everything. I knew we needed help.”

She finally looked him in the eye, and he grinned at her. His brave, clever Rose.

_This the only reason you came back?_  he teased.

_Oh shut up, you know it’s not,_  she replied, rolling her eyes.

The scanner beeped, pulling them from their conversation.

“The Dalek Crucible,” he said darkly when he saw where they were. “All aboard.”

He then heard a Dalek outside shriek for him to exit the TARDIS or die.  _Already exterminated me once today,_  he thought dryly.  _Let’s go a second round, eh?_

He received a sharp mental rebuke from Rose, and he felt her fear and anger at him for making light of something so serious. He passed an apology over the bond, but she was still tense, and not even his telepathic comfort would relax her.

“Come on,” he said quietly to Rose, Jack, and Donna. “We’ve got to go out.”

The Doctor took Rose’s hand in his and brought it to his lips. He kissed the backs of her fingers and closed his eyes against the terror that he was about to lose her again. He then guided her to the door and looked back at Jack and Donna.

“Time to go,” he said, trying to infuse his voice with a lightness he didn’t feel. “Time to meet our lord and master.”

Their friends joined them at the door, and before he could open it, Rose dropped his hands and walked back towards the console.

“Rose, we can’t stay in here, love. They’ll get in, no matter what,” he said gently.

“No, I know,” she said. “Go on, I’m right behind you. I just want to take this off.” She unzipped her jacket half way and tugged off her yellow dimension hopper. “I’d rather this not get into the hands of the Daleks. Er… the plungers of the Daleks.”

The Doctor snorted, then turned around to open the door. His stomach knotted itself as he looked around at the massive number of Daleks on the ship, all with their ray guns pointed at him and his friends.

He took a steadying breath and stepped out onto the Crucible. He stayed near the door, wanting Rose’s hand in his to help calm his anxieties.

But as soon as Jack and Donna exited the TARDIS, the doors slammed shut in his face, trapping Rose inside.

**Author's Note:**

> I think this will be only two parts, and I'm not sure yet when part two will be up. School is busy right now, so probably not until after Easter, I think. Anyhoo, I hope you enjoyed this first part!


End file.
